Educational toy



March 8, 1966 E. E. WILSON EDUCATIONAL TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 26, 1963 INVENTOR.

EVERETT E. W

ILS ON OKNEY March 8, 1966 E. E. WILSON 3,238,645

EDUCATIONAL TOY Filed Nov. 26, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. EVERETT E W! LSON ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,238,645 EDUCATIONAL TOY Everett E. Wilson, 12886 Steel, Detroit, Mich. Filed Nov. 26, 1963, Ser. No. 326,149 4 Claims. (Cl. 35-72) This invention relates to toys and more particularly to an improved educational toy or game. The present application is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application, Serial No. 74,076, filed December 6, 1960, for Educational Toy, and now abandoned.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an educational toy or game which comprises a plurality of pieces of identical shape but of several different colors and a transparent box adapted to hold such pieces assembled in a predetermined manner, said box comprising two identical halves or trays which may be used for producing therein various assembled designs.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an educational toy or game of the nature specified in the preceding paragraph which toy offers a wide variety of entertainment commanding a childs interest for many years and useable with success throughout a considerable range of childrens ages, such as from infant entertainment to learning geometry.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an educational toy including a number of individual template pieces which are so designed as to make their use safe and pleasant for a child, particularly by eliminating the possibility of swallowing such pieces, preventing injury by sharp corners, and eliminating unpleasant handling usually caused by sharp edges.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an educational toy including a plurality of identical flat templates, the shape of the templates being so selected being so selected as to afford the possibility of making up a maximum of design figures, either inside or outside of the trays, in a single color or in a plurality of colors.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved educational toy of the foregoing nature which the trays are so constructed that each one can hold one or more rows of fiat pieces assembled therein in a locking manner into a design, and thus enabling the user to carry such designs from place to place, to stand it in a slightly inclined position for observation, and to deposit or place it in the assembled condition upon any flat surface by turning the tray over.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved educational toy of the nature specified above which can also be used as a Christmas tree ornament.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description and appended claims, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is a top view of one of the trays forming a part of my toy, said tray being shown separately.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows on the section plane passed through the section line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows on the section plane passed through the section line 33 of FIG. 5, but with the top row of pieces being removed.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view similar in part to FIG. 3 and showing a smaller section of the toy but on a larger scale and with all three rows of the pieces assembled and the upper tray put in place.

FIG. 5 is a top view of educational toy with two rows Patented Mar. 8, 1966 of the pieces assembled in the lower tray, with the upper tray being removed.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view showing one of the pieces separately.

FIG. 7 is an end view of the piece of FIG. 6.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and agreement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways within the scope of the claims. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

In the drawing there is shown by way of example an educational toy embodying the present invention. Referring specifically to the drawing, the toy, illustrated therein comprises two identical trays, each designated in the drawing by the numeral 10. Each tray is of a hexagonal shape and comprises a fiat bottom 11 and a raised bead 12 provided at the periphery of said bottom. A hole 13 is provided at the center of the bottom 11. A plurality of reinforcing ribs 14 extend in the radial direction from a boss 17 provided at said hole 13 to the bead 12. I prefer to provide twelve ribs equidistantly arranged at 30 intervals. The trays 10 are made by molding from a transparent, preferably colorless plastic material, and two identical trays are used for one toy, as mentioned above.

The trays are adapted to receive therebetween an uneven plurality of rows, in the present embodiment three, of identical pieces, twelve pieces in each row. In the drawings, the pieces of the bottom row are designated by the numeral 21, the pieces of the middle row by the numeral 22, and the pieces of the top row by the numeral 23. Each piece is in the form of a 30/60 triangle approximately /s" thick, with its larger leg having theoretical length as indicated at 1 of 3%. All three corners of each piece are well rounded such as at A2" radius.

Because of such construction and the dimensions, in order to have said pieces fit into the tray, the same is made of such a diameter that a circle of radius R inscribed into the hexagon formed :by the inner sides of the head 12 has said radius R, equal to approximately 3%. The circumscribed circle has its radius R equal to 3%". For the purpose of more pleasant handling, the corners of the hexagon formed by the outside surfaces of the bead 12 are rounded, as indicated at 16, on the radius R equal approximately to 3 The radius R, of the large circle is approximately 4- /8 An important feature of the present invention resides in making the height of the bead 12 extend from the surface of the bottom 11 for a distance equal to 1 /2" thickness of the triangular pieces. In consequence thereof, when two rows are placed into one tray as illustrated in FIG. 4, the upper row extends above the top surface of the head 12 for only one-half of its thickness and, therefore, both rows of pieces are retained within the tray. By virtue of such a construction a two row design can be assembled in one tray.

The triangular pieces are identical in their shape and dimensions but are of several different colors, thereby enabling the user to produce various color designs. I have found that with thirty-six triangular pieces and four colors it is possible to produce nearly 1,000 distinctive designs affording the possibility of providing long term entertainment for the user who would constantly discover new possibilities of providing different designs.

Generally, the pieces may fit loosely into the trays for ease of assembly and disassembly. However, under certain conditions it may be desirable to select the dimensions of the trays and of the separate pieces in such a manner that each row fits snugly into the tray and is retained therein even if the tray is turned upside down. Because of the provision of the central hole which is preferably /2" in diameter, all the pieces can be taken out, either for the purpose of breaking up the design or for discharging it on the fiat supporting surface by turning the tray upside down and pushing out the pieces through the hole 13 at the center of the tray with a finger or the blunt end of a pencil. One row or two row color designs may be thus produced. The pieces may be either opaque or transparent. \Vith the use of transparent pieces of various colors, the combinations of the underlying and overlying colors afforded additional possibilities of varying the designs and producing striking color combinations. The trays may be either colorless or tinted. It will also be understood that designs may be formed also out of the trays.

In addition to the above advantage, the provision of the hole 13 enables the user to place the tray or the entire toy on the end of a pivot or axle, such as a pencil, and spinning the tray thereon. An experiment of such a nature providing for more active use of the toy, particularly important with young children, may also be used to demonstrate various scientific phenomena, such as showing that a combination of certain colors produces a white color. Such experiment can be done by selecting pieces of certain colors, placing them in the form of a design preferably composed of equilateral triangles and spinning such design in a tray.

It will be understood that the toy may be constructed to receive more than three rows of triangular pieces, such as five, seven, or nine rows, i.e., an uneven plurality of rows. The dimension of the individual pieces based on the theoretical length of its longer legs being equal to approximately 3%" is selected for the purposes of convenient use of the toy as well as safety, particularly in preventing a small child from swallowing such a piece. Rounding the corners is also a feature of safety since having a sharp object in ones hands such as a triangle with sharp corners, a child can easily hurt itself or others.

'For purposes of distribution, the trays with the pieces assembled therein may be taped with transparent tape. In use, connecting the trays together may also be done with a rubber band. Connected in such a manner, the complete toy may be spun as explained above, or hung on a Christmas tree, as a present or as an ornament, with a string or the rubber band being passed through its central hole 13. Individual pieces may also have holes provided in them and also hung as ornaments or for securing them together to form solid figures. All sharp edges of the pieces are removed by beveling.

By virtue of the above disclosed construction, the objects of the present invention and numerous additional advantages are attained.

I claim:

1. An educational toy comprising two identical transparent trays of hexagonal shape with a retaining bead provided around the periphery of each of said trays, an uneven plurality of rows of pieces identical in shape and dimensions but of different colors, each row having twelve pieces, with each of said pieces being in the form of a fiat 30/ triangle with rounded corners, the thickness of said pieces being such that when either of said trays is filled, the upper row projects upwardly over the top of the retaining bead for a distance of approximately half of its thickness.

2. An educational toy comprising two identical trays of hexagonal shape with a retaining bead provided around the periphery of each of said trays, said trays being mold ed of transparent plastic material, three rows of pieces identical in shape and dimensions but of several different colors packaged within said trays being placed and retained therein by the beads thereof, the height of said beads being equal to approximately one and a half thickness of one row of said pieces, with each piece being in the form of a fiat 30/60 triangle having its larger leg of theoretical length of 3%" with rounded corners.

3. An educational toy comprising two identical trays of iexagonal shape and having a bottom and a head of approximately in height provided at the periphery of said bottom and extending upwardly therefrom with the circle inscribed into the bead hexagon having a radius equal to approximately three and a quarter inches, with the outside corners of said head and said bottom being rounded at a radius of approximately three and thirteensixteenth inches, said trays being placed together and having three rows of triangular pieces approximately /s" thick, twelve pieces to each row, said pieces being packaged between said trays and retained in place by said heads, the plane of contact of said beads being in the middle of the thickness of the inner row of said pieces.

4. The educational toy defined in claim 3, with the bottom of each tray being provided with a central hole and twelve radial ribs equidistantly arranged and extending from said hole on the outer side of the tray bottom, and with each piece being in the form of a fiat triangle 3% at its theoretical longer leg by having all three of its corners rounded, the corners of said pieces at the center of the tray overlying said hole to provide means for pushing out the assembled design from the tray.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 802,807 10/1905 Fitch 3539 2,738,594 3/1956 Swingle 35-34 2,875,531 3/1959 Mansfield 3569 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN EDUCATIONAL TOY COMPRISING TWO IDENTICAL TRANSPARENT TRAYS OF HEXAGONAL SHAPE WITH A RETAINING BEAD PROVIDED AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF EACH OF SAID TRAYS, AN UNEVEN PLURALITY OF ROWS OF PIECES IDENTICAL IN SHAPE AND DIMENSIONS BUT OF DIFFERENT COLORS, EACH ROW HAVING TWELVE PIECES, WITH EACH OF SAID PIECES BEING IN THE FORM OF A FLAT 30*/60* TRIANGLE WITH ROUNDED CORNERS, THE THICKNESS OF SAID PIECES BEING SUCH THAT WHEN EITHER OF SAID TRAYS IS FILLED, THE UPPER ROW PROJECTS UPWARDLY OVER THE TOP OF THE RETAINING BEAD FOR A DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY HALF OF ITS THICKNESS. 